The present invention relates to the treatment of oil slicks and spills on the surface of bodies of water and more particularly, to methods of making and using compositions that will coagulate and/or enhance the viscoelasticity of the spilled oil such that the spilled oil may be readily removed from the water surface.
Unfortunately, repeated incidences of oil spilling in both fresh and salt water are well known. Recent history has evidenced the disastrous results that are caused by oil spills. Spilled oil causes damage to marine life, contamination of the water itself, damage to the shoreline and damage to birds and other wild life that are dependent upon the contaminated water. Because oil spills cause great losses both environmentally and, of course, financially, compositions, methods of making compositions, and methods of using compositions that will control an oil spillage such that spilled oil may be readily removed from a water surface is in great need.
Several methods of controlling oil spills are known. Various mechanical devices such as fences, booms, and skimmers have been used to physically contain or remove oil that has been spilled on a water surface.
In addition, several types of oil absorbants have also been used in the past, such as, for example, straw. Various chemical treatments have also been used to either contain or coagulate spilled oil. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,189 to Gilchrist, et al. teaches a composition for the control of oil floating on water that comprises a drying oil, a solvent and a catalyst that are used in combination as a composition that is able to confine oil that is floating on the surface of water. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,967 to Zall teaches a method of containing oil spills that uses a polymer of high molecular weight that is able to gel or coagulate the spilled oil such that the coagulated oil may be easily raked off the surface of the water.
Although the Gilchrist and Zall compositions and methods, and others, teach moderately effective means for removing spilled oil from a water surface, heretofore, a method of making a composition, the resulting composition, and a method of using the resulting composition that is able to confine, coagulate and control spilled oil in both calm and rough choppy water has not been known. Due to the nature of oil and water, i.e., the lighter components of oil typically evaporate from the surface of the water in 24-28 hours, and the heavier components of the oil typically sink below the surface of the water and eventually form an emulsion with the water; previous compositions and methods have not been effective to remove the spilled oil from the water surface, especially in rough waters.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of making a composition, the composition itself, and a method for using the composition that has the ability to coagulate oil and in particular, No. 6 fuel oil, heavy crude oil, sour crude and non-detergent motor oil.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a composition that will coagulate both the heavy and light components of oil, and will float on the surface of the water, thereby preventing the heavier oil components from sinking beyond recovery.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for making the glyceride/polymer/solvent coagulant composition of the present invention.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a composition that is able to coagulate oil spills whereby said coagulation is independent of the temperature and type of water in which the spill has occurred.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a coagulant that effectively coagulates independent of agitation rate or coagulation time.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a coagulant composition that removes 99.9% of the oil spilled in water such that only a trace amount, if any, remains.